2D Saviours

Superheroes We Know And Love Given a Minimalist Twist

This super-cool set of illustrations is by Yann le Neve, aka Bunka, a character and toy designer, and illustrator based in Paris, France. His minimal style emphasises the shapes that the classic characters comprise of, giving it a modern edge.

As an illustrator, his animated world consists of characters based on the toys he produces; the Chaos Monkeys. However, this collection pays homage to some of the classics, Batman, Superman and Ninja Turtles. His work has been inspired by American indie artists such as Mike Mignola and Eric Powell.

“By simplifying the characters that marked my childhood, I address the generation that grew up like me, with them.”

His unique graphic style has given a fresh perspective of some of those cartoon characters that we can sometimes grow too accustomed to, and this has won him a huge crowd of admirers. His work has been exhibited around the world.

We spoke to Bunka about his work:

The Plus: Do you have a favourite from the series? Why?Bunka:My favourite illustration in this series is the superhero panties drying on a clothesline as it creates humour with minimalist form.

TP: Do you have any particular sources of inspiration?B: American comics like Mike Mignola, who minimise the classic comics, influence me. I always wanted to create my own style, so I applied this method to the graphical portion of my work.

TP: What is your typical creative process?B: I work directly in with vector software without drawing by hand; I use minimal forms as simple as possible for my characters so that they are recognisable at first view.

TP: What’s next?B: I intend to prepare an exhibition for spring 2015 in Paris, and producing this whole series of illustrations in the form of prints and books as well as an animation project.